Bridgegate - Chris Christie's scandal

[antimony]

I am confused how such a thing can even be executed. Isn't there a full on process flow to even legitimately do something like that? I hope real heads (not scapegoats) roll for this one.

I kinda feel sorry for Christie. If he really was not involved, then he got seriously blindsided. Of course, if he is ignorant of his subordinate's actions to this extent, how can Americans trust him at the top job?

Who had the worst week in Washington? New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. - The Washington Post

[Minskaya]

E-mails confirm that Christe aides shut the George Washington bridge for political reasons (retaliation). So far, there is no smoking gun that ties Christie directly to the closure. At the very least however, it does say something about the character of people Christie elevates to positions of authority and power.

[Albany Rifles]

This is an example of the old bareknuckles big city Northern politics....gone awry in the digital age. This type of political warfare was common throughout the 19th through the mid 20th Century in American politics. Christie's political problems arise because there are electronic records of what was done/said by a memeber of his staff.

What Christie has to worry about is if the State legislature's investigation starts turning up other things....political investigations have a way of growing exponentially....just ask Bill Clinton.

And Christie has made a LOT of political enemies who would LOVE to see him brought down a peg or 3.

[antimony]

This is an example of the old bareknuckles big city Northern politics....gone awry in the digital age. This type of political warfare was common throughout the 19th through the mid 20th Century in American politics. Christie's political problems arise because there are electronic records of what was done/said by a memeber of his staff.

What Christie has to worry about is if the State legislature's investigation starts turning up other things....political investigations have a way of growing exponentially....just ask Bill Clinton.

And Christie has made a LOT of political enemies who would LOVE to see him brought down a peg or 3.

What is interesting is that this kind of thing can even be done.

I hope those involved get slapped with both civil and criminal charges and the process changed so that this can never happen again.

[Albany Rifles]

What is interesting is that this kind of thing can even be done.

Tammanny Hall, James Michael Curley, the Daley Machine, look at the number of governors Illinois has in jail, Philadelphia mayors and Trenton's mayor today. Hell, American Hustle is based on the ABSCAM case which nailed NJ pols.

Big city, harknuckle politics.

Look at your own city's experience with lumber and canning interests over the years.


...so that this can never happen again.

Really?!

[bonehead]

Tammanny Hall, James Michael Curley, the Daley Machine, look at the number of governors Illinois has in jail, Philadelphia mayors and Trenton's mayor today. Hell, American Hustle is based on the ABSCAM case which nailed NJ pols.

Big city, harknuckle politics.

Look at your own city's experience with lumber and canning interests over the years.


...so that this can never happen again.

Really?!

Too many politicians get too cozy and think they are above the law thus things like this happen. The best we can do is have a few swing from a tall tree and a short rope. You cant stop things like this from happening but if you hang a few you will slow things down a lot.

[Bigfella]

The stupid thing about this is how petty this all was & how poorly hidden. They put it all in email form? At least Christie didn't leave a paper trail, though it stretched credibility that this could go on for as long as it did without him knowing why. There will be a few GOP folk from presidential hopefuls on down who will be doing a happy dance over this.

In the meantime John Stewart nails it:

"planning this over email with non-coded lingo, you should be ashamed of yourselves

...you're an embarrassment to dialogue.....here's how it should have gone:

'Hey, did you take care of that thing?

Yeah, I took care of that thing, Our good friend Lee, he's constipated alright....'

[Julie]

Where is all of this "evidence" that former aides are claiming they have that Christie knew about the bridge closing? When a man's career is at stake, these persons making these claims need to put up or shut up. If anyone comes across any of this "evidence" could you post the links here?

[zraver]

E-mails confirm that Christe aides shut the George Washington bridge for political reasons (retaliation). So far, there is no smoking gun that ties Christie directly to the closure. At the very least however, it does say something about the character of people Christie elevates to positions of authority and power.

I wish we wpould use that standard against Obama....

[JAD_333]

Albany has it right. This kind of thing of political shenanigan is practically a tradition in New Jersey. It goes on in little ways all the time. This time, they went too far.

Reports on CNN say that a former businessman who recently resigned a job close to Christie claims Christie knew what was going on. Hope it's not true. This thing hurt a lot of people. If you want to administer political punishment, do it in a way that doesn't make people's life miserable.

[Nydia]

Albany has it right. This kind of thing of political shenanigan is practically a tradition in New Jersey. It goes on in little ways all the time. This time, they went too far.

Reports on CNN say that a former businessman who recently resigned a job close to Christie claims Christie knew what was going on. Hope it's not true. This thing hurt a lot of people. If you want to administer political punishment, do it in a way that doesn't make people's life miserable.

It's not only NJ with its share of crooked politicians, other states as well, including Chicago. Chris Christi, however, is a maestro regarding deception. I live partially in NJ and follow politics there just as closely as I do in NY where I am native born, work and also live. Hypocrisy is the life blood of this Republican governor in a Blue state. It's inconceivable that Christi, a micromanager, with his hands in everything, did not know about what his aids were doing if he did not actually conceive of this act of retribution against the Fort Lee mayor, Mark Sokolich.

This report that was just released by Christi administration, a white wash exonerating the governor without interviewing the principal witnesses: Bridget Anne Kelly, David Wildstein, David Samson, Bill Baroni,and Bill Stepien.

There are other investigations, one in particularly, by the US attorney's office questioning whether Christi used Sandy Rescue Aid as a slush fund when his Lt. Kimberly Ann Guadagno approached Mayor Dawn Zimmer of Hoboken with a threatening proposal: Sandy aid will be forthcoming if she would allow some development and investments in Hoboken. Another Christi cabinet member also suggested to Mayor Zimmer that as soon as she gave the OK for what they wanted in Hoboken, the Sandy aid would be forthcoming.

It's very difficult to find people in NJ who believe Christi's version, and personally, I think the man's career towards the WH in 2016 is doomed.

[JAD_333]

It's not only NJ with its share of crooked politicians, other states as well, including Chicago. Chris Christi, however, is a maestro regarding deception. I live partially in NJ and follow politics there just as closely as I do in NY where I am native born, work and also live. Hypocrisy is the life blood of this Republican governor in a Blue state. It's inconceivable that Christi, a micromanager, with his hands in everything, did not know about what his aids were doing if he did not actually conceive of this act of retribution against the Fort Lee mayor, Mark Sokolich.

This report that was just released by Christi administration, a white wash exonerating the governor without interviewing the principal witnesses: Bridget Anne Kelly, David Wildstein, David Samson, Bill Baroni,and Bill Stepien.

There are other investigations, one in particularly, by the US attorney's office questioning whether Christi used Sandy Rescue Aid as a slush fund when his Lt. Kimberly Ann Guadagno approached Mayor Dawn Zimmer of Hoboken with a threatening proposal: Sandy aid will be forthcoming if she would allow some development and investments in Hoboken. Another Christi cabinet member also suggested to Mayor Zimmer that as soon as she gave the OK for what they wanted in Hoboken, the Sandy aid would be forthcoming.

It's very difficult to find people in NJ who believe Christi's version, and personally, I think the man's career towards the WH in 2016 is doomed.

Nydia:

I'm afraid you are right about Christi's national political future. Even if he was unaware of the actual method of exacting political vengeance on Ft Lee's mayor, it's a fair bet he told his people to make him pay somehow.

It's very hard to be a straight shooter in NJ politics. I managed two campaigns in NJ for an incumbent congressman who was a well-liked and a very effective legislator. But the real power behind the campaigns were local pols who were into all kinds of, shall we say, traditional techniques to insure their man won, and of course they get their rewards. Unfortunately, NJ's shady political culture goes way back. It's just business as usual.

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[bonehead]

All things considered, when Christie is compared to any republican running mates, his stains will be no worse than anyone else. His ability to deal with Obama and, by proxy democrats, will go a long way in swaying moderates/independents that are tired of the "us vs them" politics as usual. That will help him in the general election but kill him in the primaries.

[Nydia]

Governor Chris Christi's Skulduggery

All things considered, when Christie is compared to any republican running mates, his stains will be no worse than anyone else. His ability to deal with Obama and, by proxy democrats, will go a long way in swaying moderates/independents that are tired of the "us vs them" politics as usual. That will help him in the general election but kill him in the primaries.

Perhaps you are right in your perception Governor Christie is no worse than any other Republican politician, but I beg to disagree. The aura emanating from Christi fits into a broader pattern of behavior, documented by the New York Times,(see article by KATE ZERNIKE: "Stories add up as Bully image Trails Christi," NYT, December 24, 2013) of taking retribution against politicians who cross him in any way. In my reality, Gov Chris Christi is in a league all his own. The narrative that Christie is a vindictive politician who would abuse the power of his office to hurt his enemies seems more and more true as these investigations against him gain steam. Christi is a bully and if you cross him, the offender will pay, if not today, then in the near future.

So far it's obvious he has used the Sandy Relief Aid as a slush fund, beginning with his ads featuring the governor and his family ostensibly promoting New Jersey, but in reality he was preparing for a 2016 presidential run.

Governor Christi wanted to present the image of a governor who had crossover appeal which most GOPers find it difficult to do because of their hatred for the first African American president. And sure enough, there did appear to be a growing support for Christi who at one time was ahead of Hillary Clinton by a few points and considered the great white hope for the Republican Party.

[Dreadnought]

Has anyone even noticed that "Bridge Gate" has hung around alot longer in the press then "Whitewater".......

Might that tell you that they are pretty fearful of Christies run against Hilliary in November for POTUS
.

Think about it.